Hello everyone! This is your buddy Fenikkusumaru here! I'm here to give you another story and it's a crossover story of Koihime Musou and Kamen Rider Gaim! I've seen Kamen Rider Chrome and Ten–Faced Paladin do that crossover, so why not me? However, unlike those two, I'm going to be following the Visual Novel oh and I know it sounds stupid, but the canon characters will have their anime appearances and not the Visual Novel appearances just so you know. Kurogasa Kururugi will be in there and recurring OC Koji Shinamori will appear as well along with two new OC's Serpentdrago made. Their names are Souji and Daigo Nogano, so thanks man.
One more thing: I'm co–writing with Vanishing Raptor on this story who has some knowledge of the Visual Novel to an extent so I got some help there and I thank him for being my coauthor on this. It's a good thing I found him on the Beta profiles, otherwise, I don't think this story will be possible. Anyways, with that being said, let's with the crossover story of Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Kingdoms!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider Gaim. All creative rights go to Shotaro Ishinomori. I also do not own Koihime Musou. All creative rights go to BaseSon and Publisher Nexton.
"EI! HAH! SORYAH!"
The sounds of my two shinai were heard as they cracked and snapped against one of my classmate's one shinai. The crisp sound of shinai clashing filled the dojo as I kept up with the attack as my classmate kept on the defense, doing his best to block my two shinai from hitting him.
I kept up the pace, and eventually cornered him. I thought that would be the end. But just when I went for the kill, he slammed the tip of the shinai into my stomach.
"GAH!" I cringed.
"Point!" The instructor shouted, raising a white flag in the air, indicating that my opponent has taken the win.
After that, we got back into position and bowed to each other before both my sempai and I placed down our shinai and took off our helmets and chest plate. Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Kurogasa Kururugi. I'm 19 years old and 2nd year student at St. Francesca Academy, a private college that used to be an all–girls school but now became a co–ed so there are very few males. I have brown hair in the style that one would think I was Kira Yamato and have blue eyes. As for what I'm doing, I just finished kendo training here in the dojo. That would indicate for some of you that I'm part of the kendo club. In fact, I'm one of the very few that can dual wield very well.
"Nice game there, Ryuzoji–sempai!" I complimented.
"Not bad Kururugi. But I gotta ask… why two shinai?" Ryuzoji–sempai questioned.
"Why not?" I grinned back. "It's just my style. It feels weird to wield just one."
He shrugged before walking off, leaving me by my lonesome. I sighed as I walked over to the nearby bench. Man this armor is easy to get warm in!
"Good job you two." The instructor said. "That ends today's practice! Hit the showers and have a good Winter Break!"
Whew… finally, I can get out of this thing. It's making me sweaty…
"Yo Kurogasa!" A voice called out. I turned around to see someone approach me. And that someone happens to be my best friend Koji Shinamori. He was about my age, 19, having brown eyes, being two inches taller than me, and while our hair color was the same, he wore it in a surfer cut.
And though he's my best friend, he has the one thing that I don't have: The ability to woo the girls. Don't get me wrong, I talk with girls, it's just that when it comes to wooing them, I'm never good at it.
Oh yeah… There's one thing also that differentiates us: he absolutely loves disco. I'm not kidding. Everyday going to school, under that St. Francesca school uniform, he always wears something that 70's related, not to mention that he talks 70's talk too. Yeah, he's that far into it. Still, I didn't mind and that's just him.
"Hey Koji." I greeted.
"What's shakin' man? You just finished practice?"
"Yeah, I just finished." I answered. "What's up?"
"I'm here to pick you up."
"Huh? For what?" I asked confused.
"What? You don't remember?" Koji asked back.
"Remember what? Did I plan something with you?"
"Dang straight, you did!" Koji said. "We're supposed to go to that Chinese exhibit they just built on campus and do a report on it for homework on Winter Break!"
"Homework?" I asked confused, until I suddenly remembered. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that homework." I realized. Now I remember. Our school just built a history museum on campus, so our school board chairman was having all students visit it over the break and write a report on it. I mean sure I don't mind, since history is my forte, but sheesh, why did it have to be on Winter Break of all times.
"Oh, so now you finally remember." Koji rolled his eyes, but kept his smirk.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it." I waved off. "But why do you want to do it now? We got all Winter Break to check out the museum."
"Yeah, I know. But then again, if we finish it now, then we have the entire Winter Break for our Kamen Rider Club." Koji explained.
"You do have a point there." I nodded in agreement.
I forgot to mention that Koji and I are part of a club we set up in the Academy along with two other members. It's the Kamen Rider Club and the club meets every Friday after school to discuss the latest things going on in Kamen Rider and showing off our merchandise and whatnot. But now with Winter Break coming up, we could meet up the whole break.
"Alright, I got ya. Let me get changed up first and we'll go in a few."
"Groovy, I'll see ya in a few." Koji grinned before we bumped fists.
Now dressed in my St. Francesca Academy uniform, I walked along with Koji, my disco fanatic friend, in the halls as he waved and smiled at the girls they passed. The girls blushed and shyly waved back at them. And I, being the shy one, just blushed as the girls giggled and Koji pulled me into a one–armed buddy hug.
"Man, we really need to work on that shyness of yours, buddy."
I shot my friend an annoyed look. "Why is that? I'm fine with what I am now."
Koji looked at me incredulously. "Dude, what's wrong with you? You should be grateful for being enrolled in here, St. Francesca! There are plenty of girls here! All you have to do is approach a girl, be nice to her, flatter her, then ask for her phone number or e–mail address, and bam! You got yourself a date!"
"Speaking from experience, huh?" I replied as I folded my hands.
"Dang straight I am!" He proclaimed loudly and I sighed.
As said before, St. Francesca was once an all–girl private school until several years ago where they changed their student admission policy and allowed boys to enroll here. Still, the comparison between boys and girls were pretty much imbalanced with the girls vastly outnumbering the boys.
I was suspicious that Koji chose to enroll in St. Francesca because it was probably only because of the girls, aside from the good education it offered, but I could be wrong. Even a class–A Casanova like Otoya Kurenai wasn't that shallow. He just admired their beauty and was able to woo the ladies without trouble. After all, he did end up with a woman who didn't fall to his charms so easily. Maybe Koji was doing the same?
Either way, I was fine with what I am now. I admit it would be nice to get myself a girlfriend, but that can wait. I want to enjoy my youth in my own way. While Koji enjoyed his youth by wooing the girls, I was happy with my Kamen Rider collection. Call me a nerd or anything you want, but that's my hobby.
"Yo! Kuro–kun! Koji–kun!"
Koji and I turned to see our fellow Kamen Rider Club members, the Nogano siblings. One was around 5'7" tall with black hair tied into low ponytail and hazel eyes and is our age. His skin tone was light while his body build was lithe and agile. He was wearing the same uniform as Kurogasa and Koji, but he left it unzipped and showed the black undershirt with the image of a green dragon. The other was much taller, almost 6' tall, 5'11" to be exact, with spiked up black hair and dark hazel eyes which were almost brown. His skin tone was also light like his brother, but his build was more muscular and powerful, but less agile in return. He was wearing his uniform like his brother, but was more neat and crisp with its entire button buttoned and is two years older than us.
They were Daigo Nogano and Souji Nogano. Daigo was the cheerful and carefree one while Souji was the calmer and more serious one. On a side note, Daigo was an avid video gamer while Souji was an ex–member of the Kendo club before he retired so he can focus on the rest of college. Their contrasting personality made me wonder if they were really siblings.
"Daigo, Souji–sempai." I greeted.
"Hello, Kurogasa–kun, Koji–kun." said Souji with an acknowledging nod. "Fancy meeting both of you here. Are you two heading to the museum?"
"That's right, sempai. We're going to go to the museum so we can get the homework finished and have all winter break for our Kamen Rider Club Meeting." answered Koji with a grin.
"Cool! The whole winter break for our club meeting! Now I'm getting psyched!" said Daigo with a grin which he shared with Koji.
"Isn't it?"
"Business before pleasure, right? I certainly agree with that." commented Souji with a nod. "Why don't we all go together? We can compare our notes and we can complete the report faster that way."
"Sure thing, sempai. Let's go."
With that, we group of four left for the museum. As all of us walked, we talked slightly about our long running favorite franchise. Even Souji, who was still somewhat shy admitting that he too was a Kamen Rider fan, joined in and added his two cents. Daigo snickered at his elder brother, commenting about him being a tsundere, before promptly being silenced with a swift chop to the head. Let it be known that Souji was one of the strongest Kendoka of the club before his early retirement and was known as the 'One–handed Souji' with his strength. And his brother often experienced how true the nickname was firsthand.
Ouch.
On the way there, I accidentally hit my shoulder with another student's as he passed through.
"Oh, sorry!"
The student's response was nothing more than an annoyed grunt before he left.
"Man, what's with him? Did he end up on the wrong side of the bed or somethin'?" asked Koji, irked with the student's attitude.
"What a rude fella. Hope never to see him again anytime soon." muttered Daigo.
I, however, let my gaze linger on the student's retreating back and felt uneasy. His body was packed with muscles, more than it supposed to be for someone of his age. Like he was trained to be a martial artist from when he could start walking or went through one heck of a training session. For me who was a fellow martial artist, I was quite unsettled with that student. If there was someone as strong as me, I would know of a fellow martial artist that strong a long time ago.
"Kurogasa–kun? Are you alright?" asked Souji.
Broken from my train of thought, I shook his head and answered Souji saying, "It's nothing, Sempai."
My senior stared at me for a moment before he shrugged and continued to walk, followed by his underclassmen.
"Ne, Kuro–kun." whispered Daigo in my ear. "Are you… going after the other team?"
It took me exactly ten seconds before what Daigo meant dawned on me and I exploded, literally.
"WHAT THE HECK!? HOW DID YOU COME TO THAT CONCLUSION!?"
"Whoa, easy there Kurogasa, what did Daigo say to you?" asked Koji as he tried to calm me down.
"Maa, maa, if you did go for the other team, don't worry! I'll be supporting you no matter what!" said Daigo, trying to show support to my orientation.
It took Koji shorter time to figure what his fellow Kamen Rider enthusiast said before he too, exploded.
"THE HECK, DAIGO!? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR HEAD!?"
I took a deep, deep breath to calm down before I addressed to my somewhat airheaded friend.
"Look, what makes you come to that conclusion? I'm straight as an arrow as far as I can tell with my orientation." my tone showed that I was annoyed.
"Eh? It's because Kuro–kun looked at that guy so intense like that." answered Daigo with a somewhat innocent look.
"Maybe you should stop chopping his head like that, Souji–sempai. Maybe because you always hit him in the head Daigo lost some of his brain cells." remarked Koji dryly.
"Or maybe I should hit him more to jump start his brain." muttered Souji as he looked at his brother who covered his head.
"Oh come on, Aniki! I'm just teasing Kuro–kun for fun! You're joking about hitting me, right?" protested Daigo, but the look on his brother's face said otherwise. "Oh crap. You're serious."
"That I am."
*THWACK!*
It happened so fast that I nearly missed it. By the time it was over Daigo was holding his head which was smoking lightly from the hit while Souji walked away with his hands in his pocket. He called over for me and Koji over his shoulder.
"Kurogasa–kun, Koji–kun, let's hurry. We have a lot of notes to cover today."
Koji and I spared Daigo one last look to Daigo before looking at each other and shrugged. We then followed Souji on his heels while Daigo called to us
"Aniki! Kuro–kun! Koji–kun! Wait for me!"
The new Chinese exhibit was opened to the students and I was interested to see what they got. I heard there were artifacts dating all the way back to the Han Dynasty.
I think one of my favorite eras was the era of the Three Kingdoms. I read about it in history class and I couldn't help but admire the figures in that particular era who, fought to unify China under their banner for their own ambitions. Some did it out of pride while others did it to bring peace. It was the kind of story to be inspired from.
Well, other than Kamen Rider.
The latest one was Kamen Rider Gaim and I couldn't help but see some similarities. They had different factions as well. Sure, it was Sengoku–themed but there were some similarities.
"Dyn–o–mite, look at all this stuff." Koji whistled, looking around. "I'm impressed they managed to get this place made in a short amount of time."
"Yeah, no kidding. Not to mention that all these artifacts are actually the real thing." I added.
"I want to see if there's something on Sousou. I heard he was hardcore." said Koji.
"Hardcore, how exactly?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously honored as "Emperor Wu of Wei". He's also been praised as a brilliant ruler and military genius."
"Geez, you're supposed to be expert since history's your forte. Especially since the museum houses artifacts from the late Han Dynasty during the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era." Daigo chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." I waved off. "Anyways, we better get to note taking and finish this quick so we can get to our Kamen Rider Club after."
So we all took notes of the items displayed in the exhibition, including the Green Dragon Crescent Blade owned by the Undefeated War God Kan'u Unchou, Chouhi Yokutoku's Viper Spear, and not to mention the infamous traitorous general Ryofu Housen's Heaven Piercer. Being a history fanatic, took a detailed note of the weapons and its user's history. They also saw other exhibits which were a chained flail which looked like a Kendama with massive spiked iron ball, a giant clay pot, and a set of colorful butterfly masks.
Daigo, being Daigo, pointed out the most random things about the items.
"Oh, look at that chain flail! Someone who used it must be a moe! And look at the giant clay pot! It must be used to store menma! And they even have Kamen Riders too in the Three Kingdoms Era! Just look at those butterfly masks!"
"Oh, for the love of…! Quit it, will ya!? How come you get to that kind of conclusion? Again…" asked Koji.
"Because I'm that creative!" admitted Daigo shamelessly with a grin before he frowned slightly. "And I'm bored. Are we done yet, aniki?"
"We even haven't covered the half of the exhibit. We still have a long way to go." answered Souji.
Daigo pouted, yes he pouted, before turning to Kurogasa. "Ne, Kuro–kun. Can I borrow your notes for the report?"
"Not a chance…" I answered without looking at him as I took notes from Ryuubi's sword.
"It's not like I'm going to copy them all, you know!"
I ignored him as I went to move on and look at all the other exhibited items when he I something, or rather, someone particular. It was the student from the earlier. Come to think of it, I never took a good look on him. He had pale brown hair and purple eyes. His stature was athletic, and guarded even if he looked relaxed enough. He was standing in front of a display case which had a bronze mirror inside.
"It's the guy from the earlier…" I commented.
Koji turned to look at the guy and frowned. "You're right, aibou. What's he doing here?"
"Dunno, but have any of you seen this guy before?"
Daigo was about to crack a joke about Kurogasa's orientation before a look from Souji quieted him.
"I don't think I've seen him before." answered Souji.
"Hmm… come to think of it, I've not seen him anywhere either. Maybe he's a student from lower year or something?" added Daigo as he scratched his chin.
"Maybe… Or he's a transfer student we've never seen before." said Koji.
I frowned at that. "It's weird… I should've known someone as strong as him a long time ago."
Koji and Daigo turned to look at me in confusion.
"Huh? How can you tell that, aibou?"
"Did you get a scouter on your eyes or something?"
"A good martial artist knows of another by seeing how another person's posture." answered Souji as he scrutinized the mysterious student. "Now I understand why Kurogasa–kun is wary of him. He is strong, too strong for a normal high school student."
"That's right. He's also more muscular than a teenager should be." I nodded. "His stance also didn't show any opening even when he was relaxed like that."
The four of us discreetly continued watching the teen as he stared hard at the bronze mirror. His eyes were hard and cold. He looked like that then and there, he wanted to just break the glass and take that mirror from the display. And I could've sworn I heard something from that guy too.
"Here… it begins…" The male student said cryptically.
"Huh?" I asked confused, not liking the way he said it. "Souji–sempai, did you hear that?"
"Yeah, I did." Souji frowned. "Something's up…"
"What?" Daigo asked. "What? What? What?"
"I don't know. I just get this bad feeling about that guy."
"Like, a bad, bad vibe?" asked Koji.
"We should keep an eye for him for a while. I seriously don't like how much he paid attention to that mirror." said Souji.
"Uh, Aniki? What are you talking about?" asked Daigo, looking lost.
I said my next words lowly so the 'student' won't hear me speaking, "I think that guy isn't a student. Maybe he only disguised as a student so he can do whatever he planned easier." Koji looked alarmed with my statement before his expression become serious.
"So… this guy's a thief?"
"Probably. We shouldn't do anything to set him off," answered Souji.
Daigo looked confused by his brother's words. "Uh, shouldn't we call for the security?"
I shook my head. "Too risky. For all we know, the security guards won't be enough to stop him, not if he was really that strong."
"Kurogasa–kun is right. For now, let's act like nothing happened and keep on taking notes." suggested Souji.
Koji nodded at his sempai's assessment before glancing one last time at the suspected thief. "Looks like that guy isn't in a hurry either. He probably will wait until the museum closed before he acted."
"So we should leave him alone for now?" said Daigo.
"It's for the best. Come on, we still have some work to do," I said.
"Right." Koji nodded.
"Okie dokie." Daigo agreed.
So with that, the four of us left the 'student' alone so we could continue working on our notes and getting everything done for our report so we don't have to do it during the whole Winter Break. I don't know what that guy is up to, but whatever it is, he's not gonna get away with it.
So after taking all our notes, we left the museum and went back to our dorms and we compared with what we have, then after that, we helped each other write our own reports, specifically on the three factions that ruled during the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I took Shǔ (Shoku), Daigo and Souji had Wú (Go), and Koji had Wèi (Gi).
I looked at the clock and it was 19:00, the time when the school museum was supposed to be closed for the day. My uneasiness doubled when I realized that guy was probably still there; ready to carry out his plan in any moment now. I sighed loudly, catching the attention of my friends.
"Kuro–kun? What's wrong?" asked Daigo.
"That guy is probably still there, isn't he?" I said.
"Perhaps." Souji frowned. "Does it unsettle you, Kurogasa–kun?"
"Somewhat. I hoped it's just my paranoia speaking, but…"
Silence reigned in the Dorm room before Koji broke it. "Why don't we go for a little stake out?" The Nogano brothers looked at him in surprise before I mulled it over.
"Hmm… I agree with Koji. If he's really a thief, then we should stop him before he gets away."
"Same here. All of us are trained in martial arts and we can give him a hard time if he decided to fight," added Souji with a nod.
That was true. Souji and I were quite the Kendoka ourselves while Koji is a black belt Karateka and Daigo is a Kenpo expert. With our next action decided, the four of us prepared ourselves to stop the thief. We agreed to do our stake out near St. Francesca main lane.
So with that, I and Souji both got our bokken, two of them for me since I'm dual wielding and him only having one. After that, we met up with Koji and Daigo at the main lane.
"Looks like this is everyone." Koji said.
"Yeah and… Daigo, what's in the duffel bag?" I asked.
"Our Sengoku Drivers, Lockseeds, and the rest of our Gaim merchandise." Daigo said.
I face faulted at that. "Why did ya bring them?!"
"Dunno? I just brought them with me."
My palm smacked right into my face before looking at my airheaded friend exasperatedly. "They're toys, toys, remember? It's not like we can actually use them for real!"
Daigo was about to say something when Souji noticed something. "Quiet! We have someone incoming. Take your places and if it's really our suspect, then block his escape path!"
We all nodded as we hid behind the bush. We waited for several seconds and it was really our thief. Pocketed in his blazer was a familiar bronze mirror from the museum. With a moment's nod, the four of us sprang away and blocked the thief's path.
"Hold it right there!" I shouted.
"Where do ya think you're going?!" Koji added.
"Yeah, what's your deal?!" Daigo said.
"And what's that in your pocket?" Souji asked.
The teen only glared at us in annoyance and disdain. I just really can't believe it. My worst fears have become reality. I knew there was something fishy about this guy!
"Who are you all? And what do you want?" The 'student' asked.
"That's what we should be asking you!" I snapped. "I knew there was something fishy about you! I bet you don't even go to this school!"
"So what?" The 'student' scoffed.
"Don't play dumb with us!" Koji snapped too.
"Your disguise is good, I admit, but you made a mistake." said Souji calmly as he held his shinai in his usual kendo stance. "St. Francesca never has many male students and a stranger like you stands out so much."
"…And your point is?" asked the teen in visible annoyance.
"Our point is, Mr. Thief, you shouldn't take something that isn't yours!" snapped Daigo.
The teen then glared at every one of us, before he said, "So all of you intend to get in my way?"
"Yeah, we are!" I retorted.
Suddenly the air around the thief changed. It was as if a snake was uncoiled and ready to strike in any moment. We all sweated as apparently our enemy is a lot stronger and deadlier than what we predicted.
"In that case… die."
"N–Nani?!" I gasped, gritting my teeth.
*SWOOSH! WHOOSH! SWOOSH!*
The guy first charged at me and did a series of kicks at me. Lucky for me, I was able to dodge or parry as I jumped back to gain distance.
"Hah, hah, hah, hah…" I panted heavily. I was panting like I'd run a mile nonstop. This guy was on a whole different level.
"Tsk…" the 'student' scoffed.
"Kurogasa! Are you okay, buddy!?" asked Koji, also shaken by the teen's apparent strength.
"I'm fine! Be careful, this guy is on a whole different level!"
"Let's see how you'd like this! HAAAAAH!"
Daigo charged in with rain of punches and kicks and the mysterious teen dodged around and went for retaliation with a series of roundhouse kicks which he ducked. Koji then joined in with a swift low coming uppercut, trying to nail the thief. He deflected the attack by slapping the offending hand away, but Daigo already came in with a kick which he blocked with his forearm. The teen's purple eyes widened upon feeling the strength behind the attack.
"Not bad…" growled the teen.
"Hehe, trust me. You ain't seeing anything yet!" said Daigo as he broke away, letting Souji and I attack.
"HAAAAAH!" Souji and I attacked with a loud battle cry. Our styles were contrasting to each other. Where I relied more in speed, Souji relied more in power.
The thief dodged my fast paced swings and Souji's more powerful one. One of my shinai went in for a thrust which the thief slapped away and had to block the other with his forearm. He broke away from me to dodge Souji's two–handed overhead slash. His eyes narrowed hearing the air displaced because of Souji's slash, showing how powerful it was. Koji followed up with a quick series of jabs which the thief dodged or blocked before he retaliated with a straight kick, aiming for Koji's liver. But the disco fanatic was faster and blocked the kick by crossing his arms. He yelped as he was pushed backward and felt his arm numbed slightly.
"Koji! Are you okay?!" I called out as Daigo went in with flurry of kicks aimed at the thief's head.
"I'm fine!" replied Koji with a grunt. "This guy hits harder than my dad in our sparring matches! Be careful!"
The mysterious teen back flipped several times to break away from Daigo's attack. He landed gracefully in his feet and settled into a modified Kenpo stance as he glared at the Kurogasa and his friends.
"Why do you insist interfering with me? Step away. This doesn't concern you."
"Oh it does now!" I snapped.
"You stole something that doesn't belong to you!" Daigo added.
"We're just trying to take that mirror back from your grubby little hands!" Souji said.
"We're gonna beat you and take you to the police!" Koji said.
"Hmph… so you insist on standing in my way." The mysterious teen said. "Fine then… I'll kill all of you. Without the key to open the door, history will never be rewritten and all shall end here."
"What? Rewriting history?" Souji gasped, unnerved by his claim. Who is this guy?
"What are you talking about?!" I frowned, demanding an answer.
"No more talk." he said as his killer intent spiked dangerously. "…DIE!"
He rushed at me, surprising me with the increased speed. I was having a hard time dodging the thief's furious kicks, all aimed at my vital spots. This guy really wanted to kill me. The killing intent was like Orochimaru's when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura first met him: Purely raw and unfiltered. Souji rushed to help me, his shinai held to his side and once he reached his range, he slashed his shinai with all the strength he could muster. The thief dodged the slash and broke away from me in return, but he had to block Koji's haymaker before he disengaged from him. Daigo came in with a fierce roundhouse kick followed by a yell which the thief blocked with gritted teeth. He retaliated with a snap kick which Daigo dodged, but he wasn't aware that I sneaked behind him swiftly.
"Got you!" I shouted and swung the shinai on his right hand.
The thief reacted too slow and was hit on the face. However, the stolen mirror flew from his pocket thanks to the attack.
"Mazui! The mirror!" said Souji before he rushed to catch the mirror.
"Oh man! Not so groovy!" yelped Koji as he too, wanting to catch the mirror.
"Kuro–kun no baka! If the mirror breaks, I'm so going to tell the dean!" said Daigo.
"Does it really matter now!? Catch that mirror!" I yelled as I pursued the soaring mirror.
"I don't think so!" The mysterious teen shouted as all five of us went to try and capture the mirror, but it was all in vain as the mirror landed on the ground, next to the duffle bag that held our Gaim merchandise and the mirror shattered to pieces.
"Oh no!" I cried out as the five of us stopped.
"The mirror broke!" Koji added.
"You're so in big trouble Kuro–kun!" Daigo complained.
"Shut it Daigo!" Souji snapped.
"NO! How dare you do this to me!" The mysterious teen shouted before he charged at me before-
*POW!*
He hit me square on the stomach, causing me to widen my eyes while I coughed out blood.
"KUROGASA/KUROGASA–KUN/KURO–KUN!"
I tried to hold onto my consciousness as the mirror fragments emitted bright light that blinded everyone.
"W–Whoa! What happened!?" yelled Koji.
"Is it supposed to do that!?" asked Daigo as he tried to cover his eyes.
"What's going on here!?" demanded Souji.
My consciousness was fading, but I heard the thief's voice echoing.
"Now it happens again… No one can stop it now! The stage has been set and the wheel has moved into motion! Now witness the truth of this world with your very eyes! That is your punishment… for your thoughtless intervention!"
"W–What do you mean!?" I coughed out, but as I was losing consciousness, whiteness engulfed me. Not only that, the whiteness of the light engulfed my friends too along with everything in sight, heck including our Gaim stuff too. After a while, I couldn't take it more and lost consciousness.
(Cue Theme Howling Soul by Rekka Katakiri)
(First Instrumental Section) We see black and white flashes of a few of the girls before freezing on Kurogasa in full color, standing back to back with Gaim. Then a few more black and white flashes of the girls appearing before coming to a full color image of Koji, smirking coolly with several of his harem girls surrounding him as Baron is off to the side. The last few black and white flashes then occur as we see Souji and Daigo stand back to back, Souji looking serious and Daigo upbeat as Zangetsu and Ryugen stand by them.
(Second Instrumental Section) the title logo for "Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Kingdoms" appears in front of the palace before it slowly fades to change scenes. The scene changes to Kurogasa as Gaim leading the Shu forces in battle. Then, the scene changes to Koji as Baron, attacking a group of Inves with the Gi forces. Lastly, the scene changes to Daigo and Souji as Ryugen and Zangetsu, protecting the Go forces.
(Tsumetai genjitsu nageki kodoku ni karada furuwasu) The scene changes to a destroyed village as rain poured down. Kurogasa was sitting with his back on a destroyed wall, looking down on the ground sadly. His eyes then shifted to the Orange Lockseed in his hand, and clenched it tightly before looking up at the cloudy sky.
(Koko kara nigedashitai kedo sukoshi mo ugokazu ni ita) Koji is then seen on a balcony, leaning against the railing, looking out into the night with a deep, thoughtful look on his face. He looks down briefly at the Banana Lockseed in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he turns back into the building.
(Uzumaku sabishisa kanji kuchibiru tsuyoku kamishimeru) In the palace courtyard, Daigo is sitting on the tree, leaning his back against the huge trunk looking bored as he looked at his Budou Lockseed while his Souji was sitting down on a chair, reading a scroll before looked up at the sky then looked back down at the table where his Melon Lockseed was.
(Kuyashinamida nagasu mae ni yuuki furishibori onore tsuranuke) Suddenly, the scene changes to a town that seemed to have started to be overtaken by Helheim. As Inves surround them, Kurogasa, Koji, Daigo, and Souji nod to each other as they put on their Sengoku Drivers. Locking on their Lockseeds, they transform into Kamen Riders Gaim, Baron, Ryugen, and Zangetsu.
(Atsuku tagiru tamashii otakebi to tomo ni tokihanate) In the following shot, as the Kamen Riders battle against the Inves, the women prove their martial might in the fight by taking on the Inves as well, different shots showing them each in action.
(Kimerareta RUURU wo uchikowashite) As the fighting continued, in the distance Kurogasa sees Saji, the man who had started it all and sent him and his friends to the Three Kingdoms world and he immediately charges at him.
(Kakenukero jiyuu e to) Saji smirked evilly as he takes out his own Sengoku Driver. His Lockseed, however, is obscured because as he activates it, a flash of light overtakes the screen, making it unclear which Rider he becomes or if Kurogasa hits him.
(Instrumental) Kurogasa, Koji, Daigo, and Souji are seen with their armies, sitting in yukata's of the color scheme of their Rider, holding up their Lockseeds. The Musou women stand behind them at the ready with their weapons out as the title logo appears again.
Chapter 1: Henshin! The Orange from Heaven?!
Pain…
It was the first thing I felt as consciousness slowly returned to me.
"Urgh… what hit me?"
I then realized two things as my cognitive mind worked through the pain and hazy consciousness. One: I wasn't at my dorm, if the blue sky above was any indication. Two: I wasn't anywhere close to St. Francesca or Japan anymore, if those mountain ridges in the distance showed him where I was right now. In fact, they reminded me of the painting of ancient China my grandfather had!
"W–What happened here!?" he asked frantically as my mind caught up with the situation on hand. I tried to calm myself down as I recalled what happened before I lost consciousness. "Let's see… I was working the Winter Break homework with Koji, Daigo, and Souji–sempai. Then we tried to ambush the thief, fought with him and…"
My eyes widened as I remembered one fact.
"The mirror! It broke during the fight and then glowed with that weird light!"
I really didn't know what happened during the period I was unconscious, but apparently that light transported me to somewhere else. And all my friends are gone too.
"Man, oh man, looks like I am in trouble."
I then noticed objects lying on the ground nearby. A Sengoku Driver, four standard Lockseeds, and an inactive LockVehicle Seed.
"How did they end up here? I thought they were in the duffle bag Daigo carried when we were about to ambush that thief."
I then examined the items and found something odd about them. One was the Sengoku Driver. It felt like it was made of real metal instead of hard plastic. The switch to turn the Driver was curiously absent. The back surface of the Driver also changed. It was a smooth, blank surface without the battery lid, the speaker, and the screws which held the toy together. I also noted that the Rider indicator was blank, not showing the image of the Rider it transformed the user into.
"Huh? What happened to the Sengoku Driver?" I asked to no one in particular before checking on the Lockseeds.
The first Lockseed I checked was the Orange Lockseed. It felt like metal instead of hard plastic and the Orange part also can't be opened so easily like it used to be. While I was curious about what would happen when I unlock the Lockseed, something told me to not do that without wearing the Sengoku Driver.
On a side note, the belt which came with the Sengoku Driver is suspiciously absent too.
I frowned in confusion before checking the other Lockseeds. The Pine, Ichigo, and Suika Lockseeds were changed too, somewhat like the Orange Lockseed.
"Man, first the mirror broke, then, I'm in the middle of nowhere, and my stuff changed too! Can't this day get any weirder?!" I complained.
I then managed to sit upright and tried to get up and stand but then cringed in pain, coming from my stomach. "Ergh…!" I winced, closing one eye as I clenched my teeth. I remember now. The mysterious guy punched me good in the stomach. "Where is that guy anyway?" I wondered to myself as I looked around, but he was nowhere in sight. Well, wherever he is, I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of him. Sooner or later, I'm gonna meet him again.
So with that, I managed to grab my Sengoku Driver, placing the Driver inside my school uniform jacket and grabbed the Orange, Pine and Suika Lockseeds and LockVehicle Seed to put in my pocket. However, when I was about to grab my Ichigo Lockseed…
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A voice asked. I looked up to see several men wearing yellow bandanas on their heads with yellow handkerchiefs tied around their necks, blue sleeveless shirts, brown waist belts around their waists held together by a blue cord and brown pants and sandals. They were all armed with weapons from ancient China and none of them had nice looks. There were three guys in total. One was short and had a big nose, the second was tall and really overweight, and the third of the bunch had a mustache and a cleft chin.
"Um…" I got out, trying to assess the situation.
"Hey pal those are some nice clothes you got…" The one with the cleft chin said menacingly.
"Uh… thanks?" I blinked.
"It's best that you leave everything right here." He said, before… pointing his sword at my throat. "You don't want to die yet do you?"
My eyes widened in fear. I felt the faint sound of the tip of the blade, cutting a small cut into my skin and the warm liquid that was blood, slowly trickled down my neck.
"Keh–keh–keh, look how pale he is! What a wimp!" the midget snickered.
"Geh–heh–heh…" The tall fat guy chortled too.
"Gh!" I winced as I gritted my teeth, staring at the three men that would possibly kill me.
"Oh? You still got the guts to glare at me huh? Well, resist if you want, killing an unarmed man will only take a second."
"Hey boss, look at this!" the midget said, picking my Ichigo Lockseed. "What's this thing?"
"Hey give it back! That's mine!" I shouted.
"Heh! Too bad! It's ours now!" said the bandit leader as he pushed me.
"Oof!" I was pushed back to the dirt, and Sengoku Driver clattered to the ground as result. Fortunately the bandits was too focused on the the Ichigo Lockseed. I sat up with my left hand reaching to the Sengoku Driver unconsciously. "What's the deal with you people!?"
"I'm sure we can sell this thing for quite a price!" said the short bandit gleefully.
"I'm sure!" replied the boss bandit before turning to me, and pointing his sword to him. "Alright, strip down your clothes and hand over your belongings!"
"You're bandits!?" I asked in shock.
"Hehehe… what's your first clue, pal? Now hand 'em over!"
I was trying to stand up, unconsciously bringing my Sengoku Driver to my waist. I was surprised to feel something wrap around my waist. I looked down to see my Sengoku Driver now strapped to my waist by a yellow belt. An image of an armored blue helmet with a golden head crest, and a rainbow hued visor, and silver mouth plate appeared on the blank Rider Indicator.
My mind went for miles as the implication hit me like a freight train, no matter how implausible it sounded. Now I had to get that Ichigo Lockseed before anything else happened!
"Hooo… that's a cool belt you have there. Hand it over too!" said the bandit leader.
The midget fiddled with the Lockseed and then clicked the release switch on the side. First, this caused the Lockseed to unlock. But then something else happened as a result. A silver zipper appeared in midair and pulled itself down to reveal an almost misty, alien forest. Then, something leapt out of the portal and landed in front of us.
I think I almost screamed in fright at it.
It was an Inves. A Shika Inves to be exact. The Shika Inves had a mostly blue body with bronze leg armor and bronze layered armor on its shoulders. From its back and head emerged antlers which looked a little like flames starting out blue and going to orange. The face was kind of plain with only bronze plating and blue lines for eyes. Hold on… NO WAY! HELHEIM FOREST IS REAL HERE?!
The bandits shrieked in fright when they saw the Shika Inves, and the small bandit dropped the Ichigo Lockseed in the process. Too bad the bandits were too greedy for their own good. They shouldn't have toyed with things they never saw before unless it will bite them back in the behind.
I didn't know whether I should be relieved or panicking when the Ichigo Lockseed was dropped to the ground. On one hand, the Shika Inves will definitely attack anyone nearby and considering it was closer to the bandits, it attacked them first giving me a chance to escape. But when it was done with them, it would eat the Ichigo Lockseed and became a Berserk state. Goodness knows what would happen if a Berserk Inves roamed around.
Oh, boy. As much as I wanted to let the bandits get their due and no doubt they would turn at me after I rescued them, I couldn't let them become infected with the Helheim disease and become Inves food. There were certainly better ways to be killed and becoming a food for Kaijin wasn't on the list.
I watched warily as the Shika Inves attacked the bandits. They were futilely trying to fend it off and their swords were broken as it made contact with the Inves' reinforced skin.
"AHHHHHHHH! WE–WE CAN'T BEAT THIS THING!" The leader shouted in fear.
"RUN AWAY!" The tall fat bandit yelled. And with that, the three of them dashed away with a trail of smoke in their wake, very fast. Seeing that it can't run after them, the Shika Inves turned… to me. Crap… I still can't really move because of my injury.
"Halt!"
I turned to see a girl running to my direction and stopped next to me. I blushed when I saw her. She was beautiful, definitely so. Her hair was black and long, tied into a ponytail on the left side of her head with golden bangles and a pink ribbon while her bangs pulled over on the right side of her head with her forelocks framing her eyes. Her eyes were amber and her skin was light. She was wearing a sleeveless, pinstriped white shirt with green collars, a purple–and–white necktie, and a black skirt. To compliment her appearance, she was wearing a yellow–trimmed green corset which split into long tails on the end, white and green detached sleeves with yellow trims, brown legging that reached into her mid–thighs, and sturdy brown loafers. She was holding a pole–arm weapon, a halberd, topped with a green dragon head which had a curved blade coming out from the mouth. Just below the dragon head, a pair of pink tassels was wrapped around the shaft.
On a side note, her… assets were pretty big despite her age, which was around maybe a year younger if I had to guess. I blushed profusely and held back a nosebleed when I noticed that little detail. Dang you, Koji!
"I don't know what kind of beast you are, but I won't let you to harm this man!" she declared as she held her weapon ready.
"W–Wait! You can't beat that Inves alone!" I tried to stop her.
"Inves? Is that what this beast called?" asked the girl as she glanced at me before focusing at the Shika Inves. "Do not fear, My Lord. I, Kan'u Unchou, and my Green Dragon Crescent Blade shall not be defeated by this beast!"
I blinked at her. Wait, did she just call herself Kan'u Unchou? And did she call me 'My Lord'?
"Haaaah!" the girl called Kan'u dashed forward, swinging her weapon at the Inves who blocked it.
She then swiftly swung her halberd again, but the Shika Inves dodged her attack and retaliated with its fist. Kan'u blocked the attack with the shaft of her weapon as she gritted her teeth, feeling the strength behind its attack. She broke off from the Inves by jumping backwards to gain some distance and attacked again. The Inves roared and met her challenge head on.
I watched as Kan'u(?) battle with the Inves. It was obvious she was skilled, but the Inves was much stronger than her. At this rate, she was going to lose and there was no way I would let her fight alone like that. But right now, I felt helpless. I wanted to help, but I couldn't. I'm defenseless. "What do I do? What do I do?!" I gritted.
"Embrace the new path destiny has unveiled for you…" a girl's voice echoed. I gasped and my eyes widened when I looked around somewhat wildly.
Everything else around me, including the battle between Kan'u and the Shika Inves, seemed to slow, almost freezing in time. Then, walking out to me was the Mysterious Girl from Kamen Rider Gaim, a beautiful young woman wearing a white tunic which exposed her shoulders and white pants with dark leather boots. Her hair was blonde but not unnaturally and she had heterochromatic eyes, one brown and one red.
"You're–!"
"Your fate stands at a crossroads, and it shall be your choice which way you shall go. The power will be yours." She said, as she slowly walked closer towards me. "However, once you use it, your fate is sealed and there will be no turning back. You will have to fight until the bitter end… until the world is dyed in your image."
"I…" I got out.
"The choice is yours. Do you possess that resolve? Will you run from your path? Will you face your fate or forever flee from it?" The Mysterious Girl asked rhetorically.
"I…"
I looked at Kan'u and the Shika Inves. She was risking herself for me. And I'm gonna repay her back by helping her out. I was going to help her, my injuries be damned. Turning back to the Mysterious Girl, I nodded with determined fire in my eyes as I replied, "I'll do it! I accept this power!"
With a nod, the Mysterious Girl was gone and time returned to normal. Reaching for my pocket, I pulled out the Orange Lockseed. I took a deep breath and called out to the Shika Inves, "Hey ugly!" My shout caught the attention of the Inves and Kan'u who broke off from their stalemate. "You're aiming at me, right?! Then come and get me!"
"My Lord!? What are you saying!?" asked Kan'u in surprise.
"I'm not going to let you get hurt because of my fumbles. Just sit back and watch me beat this Inves!" I declared as I held the Orange Lockseed parallel to my face. Time to see if it's the real deal! I flipped the switch sideways to unlock the Orange Lockseed and shouted, "Henshin!"
ORANGE!
I gasped and my eyes were wide open when I looked up and saw the very fabric of space opened up by a zipper in a circle and a huge orange fruit hovered in the air. But rather than the citrus fruit itself, it was a metal sphere painted orange with metal studs on the surface.
This is really happening!
Doing it quickly, I looked back at the Inves and Kan'u and placed the Lockseed into Drive Bay then closed the lock to secure it into the Lock On Arm.
LOCK ON!
What happened next was that I heard the horn–like noise; the kind Japanese warlords would've sounded in battles during the Sengoku Era, but sounds techno at the same time. After that, I pressed down the Cutting Blade to slice open the Lockseed. Inside was the image of the orange's inside while at the bottom was a picture of an orange slice styled sword.
SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!
At that point, the metal orange drop and landed on my shoulders, engulfing my head. I felt my body ripple and the energy wrapped around my whole body into the suit I knew I would don. After that, my head was covered too. Knowing it by heart, it was a blue helmet with a silver mouth guard, and a sword–like decoration on the forehead. There was also an extra decoration on the helmet made of the studded orange steel and the visor was orange, looking like an orange slice.
The orange then sparked and began to disassemble, the sides folding in half to form the shoulder pads, the chest plate with a black line on top, and leaning on my back was the top of the orange with the silver inside facing out. I looked down and saw the suit on me. I was in a dark blue bodysuit which had quilted leather. On my arms and legs were golden bracers and leg coverings which added extra protection.
Appearing in my hand was a short scimitar which was orange and styled after an orange slice. On my side was a black sword with a gold line on the blade with a trigger under the sword guard and the cross–like guard looked like it actually doubled as a gun.
I became Kamen Rider Gaim!
I resisted the urge to jump around like a fan boy and instead focused on the task on hand. I can do that later when the Inves was destroyed.
Kan'u was struck speechless at my transformation. Who didn't? An Orange from the sky transformed me into an armored warrior.
"Alright, let's get going!" I surged forward with Daidaimaru, the orange slice–like blade, held ready.
The Inves roared and met my challenge head on. Thanks to the boost provided by my armor and coupled with the adrenaline rush, I didn't feel pain from my injuries. I struck fast with Daidaimaru, faster than the Inves could react, as sparks flew from its chest as my blade made contact. It stumbled and I pushed on with more slashes before a powerful overhead slash sent the Shika Inves rolling on the ground.
I switched Daidaimaru to my left hand and pulled out the Musou Saber. I pulled the Pallet Slide as a part of my blade glowed, activating its shooting function. I took careful aim before I pulled the trigger. Energy bullets flew from the muzzle and struck at the recovering Inves as I emptied my gun before I reloaded it.
"Haaaah!" I strode forward and struck the Inves with the Musou Saber before following up with my Daidaimaru.
The Shika Inves reeled in pain, but it quickly recovered and tried to attack me with its claws. I blocked it with my Musou Saber and slashed its chest with Daidaimaru before I slashed diagonally upward with the Musou Saber before slashing it horizontally. As the Inves stumbled back, I mustered all of my strength as I slashed the Inves with both of my weapons crossed.
As the Inves fell to the ground and rolled away, I decided to finish this battle before the Inves noticed the Ichigo Lockseed and ate it.
I knew what I had to do. I tossed away my weapons, reached for the Sengoku Driver, and sliced the Lockseed once with the Cutting Blade.
SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!
Rows of orange slices made from energy projected between me and the Inves before I jumped and back flipped on the apex of my jump and extended my right leg while tucking the other. I felt as if I was pushed forward by some mysterious force as I yelled, "SEE–YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
I went through the projections of orange slices and was covered by a fiery orange aura that got larger as I passed through each slice and kicked the Inves away. I landed on the ground kneeling and watched as the Inves soared in the air covered by the orange aura before it exploded and saw orange slices made from energy spread out in all directions.
I panted lightly as the embers from the explosion died away before I slowly stood up. 'THAT WAS SO AWESOME!' I shouted to myself in thought. It was real! I really transformed into Gaim and fought that Inves! I even finished the battle with a Rider Kick! Maybe this won't be a bad thing after all…
"Oh, right! The Lockseed!" I said before I looked around for my Ichigo Lockseed that short bandit fiddled with. I needed to close it before more Inves crossed over because I felt my injuries were catching up now that the adrenaline was starting to flush away. I found it lying on the ground innocently. Geez, who knew a small thing like this was an instrument that can cause the end of the world as we know it?
I picked the Ichigo Lockseed and locked it, closing the portal to Helheim Forest. Then I turned to see Kan'u who was staring at me in speechless awe. Now that I got a good look at her, she really looked beautiful with that lustrous black hair, sparkling amber eyes, porcelain white skin, and big bust– Gah! What am I thinking!? Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! Don't think of bad thoughts!
"Are you alright?" I asked as I tried to derail my bad thoughts. The question seemed to break Kan'u from her stupor before she answered me.
"Y–Yes, I am unharmed. Thank you for your concern."
"That Inves didn't land a hit on you did it?" My concern wasn't unfounded. I knew a single touch from an Inves meant a slow and painful death with Helheim vegetation growing from the wound, turning their victim into a living tree for Lockseed Fruits.
I shuddered at the thought and I got that nightmare after seeing that episode.
"No, that creature didn't injure me." Kan'u shook her head.
"That's good to hear…" I sighed before I closed my Orange Lockseed and my armor glowed before disappearing into motes of orange light, changing me back to civilian form. As soon as that happened, the adrenaline completely left and the pain from my injuries came back to me. "Ergh!" I suddenly cried out, gritting my teeth while closing one eye, kneeling on one knee while I held my stomach, cringing in pain before I began to fall over until Kan'u caught me.
"My Lord, are you okay?!" Kan'u asked frantically.
"Not exactly…" I got out, before I chuckled weakly saying, "I'm sorry… but I need to pass out for a while…"
And with that, the darkness embraced me.
The first thing I felt as my consciousness slowly returned to me was my head resting on something soft and a wonderful scent. My eyes slowly opened and saw a blurry image that quickly focused into Kan'u's worried face with a slight blush on her cheeks before a radiant smile bloomed on her face.
"My Lord! You're awake!"
My eyes widened as my somewhat still jumbled mind quickly connected the dots. The soft thing my head rested on, that wonderful scent and her face which looked so close…
C–Could this be… the legendary lap pillow!?
"U–Uwaaaaaahhhh!?"
I scrambled away at Kan'u who looked at me surprise and I could feel heat was rushing to my face. Oh man Oh man, Oh man, Oh man, Oh man, Oh man, Oh man, Oh man! Did it really happen to me!? She, the girl who claimed to be Kan'u Unchou, gave me a lap pillow!?
"U–Um, My Lord…? Does it displease you?" asked Kan'u shyly with reddened cheeks.
"N–No, It's ok! It's fine, really!" I stammered, blushing. The two of us were silent for a moment before saying, "U–Uh, what happened to me while I was knocked out?" Looking around, I realized that we were still in the same place.
"Um, I… had you leaning against this rock." Kan'u said, gesturing to the large boulder behind her. "Then I found some medicinal herbs, not too far from here and picked them, making it into a paste before I applied it to your injury before I… had you lay down with your head on my lap."
"I… see." I said. Come to think of it, I felt a hot and cold sensation on my stomach, and it feels tingly. It must be the medicinal paste she made. I smiled gently before saying, "Thank you for help. I don't know what I'd do if I was all by myself."
"It's not a problem." Kan'u smiled. "I'm just glad that you are well."
I have to admit, seeing her smile made her look so pretty. She look dignified, yet calm, comforting, and friendly.
"I guess I should introduce myself." I said before properly kneeling in front of her and bowed slightly. "My name's Kurogasa Kururugi. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Kan'u nodded. "I haven't properly introduced myself, so now is a good time. My last name is Kan, followed by my first name U. And I also go by the common name of Unchou."
I blinked when she introduced herself.
Once.
Twice.
"Uh, are you really Kan'u Unchou, the wielder of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade?" I inquired somewhat unsurely. I pray that my suspicion didn't come true.
Kan'u looked surprised by my inquiry. "Y–Yes, that's correct. If I may ask, how did you know of my weapon, My Lord?"
I felt a headache incoming despite only waking up. Oh no… I didn't somehow end up in an alternate universe, did I? But that was unreal! It only happens in an anime, a manga, or a video game! There was no way that could happen in real life, right?
Right?
Seeing me massage the temples of my head, Kan'u looked worried.
"My Lord? Are you alright?" she asked.
"…I just needed to process the information, Kan'u–san. And please call me Kurogasa. I'm not comfortable when you call me 'My Lord'."
"But that would be improper, especially when addressing a Messenger of Heaven such as you!" retorted Kan'u.
I looked at her in confusion. "A Messenger of Heaven? Who or what is that?"
"A Messenger of Heaven is a person that is mentioned in Kanrou–sama's prophecy." answered Kan'u. "It says, 'From the heavens shall descend a Messenger. He who had plucked the fruits of heaven will unite the land under his banner. The world will be dyed in his image and peace shall reign the land like a serene forest'."
I was impressed by her recounting, but frowned slightly when I noticed the similarity of this prophecy and the words at Gaim's prologue. A foreshadowing coincidence, maybe?
"I see… and you're convinced that I am this Messenger of Heaven spoken in that prophecy?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm sure of that because only someone from heaven will wear shining clothes like yours and are capable of transforming into an armored warrior using the fruit that appeared from heaven itself!" answered Kan'u with so much conviction in her words.
I felt bad to disappoint this beautiful girl who really believed that I was the person she was looking for, but on the other hand I didn't want to lie to her.
Before I could reply to her, I heard someone coming and called out from the top of her lung.
"Aneja!"
The person was a girl with short red hair and blue eyes. Her hair was decorated with a cartoonish tiger hairclip. She was wearing a navy blue half shirt which revealed her midriff underneath her yellow half jacket with a yin–yang symbol on her left shoulder and navy shorts with a brown belt that had a silver buckle with the image of the yin–yang symbol. It was further complimented with a long, red scarf. Her hands were covered with a pair of navy blue fingerless gloves with red bangles while the right glove reached below her elbow and she didn't wear any shoes, opting to wear navy socks with open toes and heels. Her spear was easily twice her size with a blue ragged cloth wrapped underneath its zigzagged blade. She carried it without much of a problem to my surprise.
"Oh, you finally caught up." Kan'u noticed as the girl ran up to us and stopped.
"Mou~, I can't believe you left me behind." The little girl whined, and for some reason, her tiger hairclip seemed to mimic her facial expression.
"Is it not your fault for playing with that puppy?" Kan'u asked rhetorically.
"Mmmmmmmmm…" the girl pouted before noticing me. "Huh? Who's that guy?"
"Hey, don't be rude!" Kan'u scolded. "This is the Messenger of Heaven we've been seeking."
The little girl blinked before her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, so you're the Messenger of Heaven?"
"Uh…" I said.
"Well, I better introduce myself!" She grinned.
Oi, I didn't get to answer yet!
"My last name is Chou, followed by first name Hi! My common name is Yokutoku!"
…
…
…
…
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"
Kan'u and Chouhi were suddenly surprised by my outcry. "W–What's wrong?" Kan'u asked worriedly.
"B–Bakana!" I said as my right eye twitched and jaw dropped while I shakily pointed at the girl. "Y–You're… You're THE Chouhi Yokutoku?!"
There's no way that little girl is the legendary Chouhi Yokutoku! It's impossible!
"Nya? You know of Rinrin?" she asked in surprise before she pouted. "And what's with that response?"
I blinked. Rinrin? I thought her name was Chouhi, as in that Chouhi Yokutoku. And she was a little girl. And what's with that true name she talked about?
"Calm down, Rinrin. It seems My Lord is really surprised about something. He also knows about me and my weapon, apparently. As expected of the Messenger of Heaven." Kan'u smiled before she turned at Chouhi. "Please go back to the village where we stayed last night and prepare a room for him."
"Okay!" said Chouhi smiling before dashing away leaving dust cloud behind her.
Kan'u chuckled seeing her enthusiasm while I was still baffled on my current situation. It was official. I ended up in an alternate universe where the major characters of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms were girls. Or so it seemed to me. Oh great, I could feel the headache now.
"We should go too, My Lord," said Kan'u as she stood up.
I also stood up and called for her her. "Wait a minute, where are we anyway?"
"We are at the Zhuo district in Yozhou Province," answered Kan'u. "Surely you have known about it when you descend from the heavens, right?"
I was right. I was in China now, right at the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era. I sighed. I really didn't want to do this, but it was better to tell her the truth now rather than later.
"Look, Kan'u–san. I'm sorry to say this to you, but I'm not the person you're looking for. Maybe."
Kan'u's eyes widened in surprise. "W–What do you mean?"
"My clothes are made from a material known as Polyester that reflects light and as for my transformation… that's a whole different matter." I really didn't want to explain about the Lockseeds, Sengoku Driver, Helheim Forest, and Inves to her right now. "But suffice to say that I'm not this Messenger of Heaven."
"Y–You're not?" the disappointment on her tone and eyes were almost heartbreaking. I really felt bad right now.
"Before I arrived in this place… or era, or whatever it is, I'm only a high school student, kendo practitioner, and a Kamen Rider enthusiast. Sorry if I misled you." he finished as he bowed to her.
"I–I see…" said Kan'u as she looked down before she bowed. "I apologize for my falsely assuming you as the person I'm looking for."
She stood up and smiled at me, but I could tell she was clearly faking it to hide her great disappointment. "I believed in the prophecy told by Kanrou–sama because I too, wished for peace in this chaotic era." Kan'u's smile became sadder and fragile at this point. "The village where Rinrin and I grew up was attacked by bandits and they killed so many… including our families and our teacher. We left our village together after we helped rebuild it, with the last gift from our teacher in hand. Then we heard the prophecy in the capital and I believed that by serving this Messenger of Heaven, I can bring peace to the land. And now, just as I thought I found him…"
Her amber eyes became glassy as if she was trying to hold back her tears. Now I felt like a jerk for making a girl almost cry.
Kan'u shook her head again. "I apologize again for the inconvenience. I suppose I shouldn't jump to conclusions like that."
"No, I should be the one apologizing." I said regretfully. "I mean, I'm really confused because of what happened recently and now I find myself away from my home and separated from my friends." I then looked at her right in the eyes. "I don't know how much I can do, but I'll help you out."
"E–Eh?" Kan'u looked at me surprised.
I smiled at her. "I said I'll help you out. I still believe I'm not this Messenger of Heaven, but there's no way I wouldn't help a girl in need. It goes against my code of honor. Besides, it's not like anyone besides you knows this fact, right?"
"Yes that's correct, but…"
"You hate lying, heck I hate that too. But there's a time where you have to lie to help those in need. Besides, by becoming this Messenger of Heaven, I can look for my friends too." I then offered my hand to her. "So what do you say, Kan'u–san? Partners?"
Kan'u looked at me for a moment before a beautiful smile graced her face. "It seems I wasn't mistaken. You really are the Messenger of Heaven, Kurogasa–sama."
She then bowed deeply at him, surprising me.
"H–Hey, what are you doing!?"
"My name is Kan'u Unchou, the wielder of Green Dragon Crescent Blade. I hereby pledge my servitude to My Lord, Kurogasa Kururugi."
"W–Wait a sec! You don't have to do that! Can't we just shake hands to get it over with? I don't want to be your lord, but your friend!" I said flustered.
"I'm afraid I can't, My Lord. My pride and honor asked me to do so." said Kan'u as she stood up and smiled at me.
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" I asked rhetorically and she nodded. "Fine, do what you wish. It's not like I can stop you or anything."
"Thank you, My Lord. Please call me by my true name, Aisha."
"True name?" asked Kurogasa before he shook his head. "Never mind that, but please call me Kurogasa. I told you I'm not comfortable if you called me 'My Lord'." I then paused as an idea entered my head. "Or better yet, you can call me Gaim. It's the name of the armor I used earlier."
"Very well, Gaim–sama." answered Aisha with a smile. "Let us head for the village then. It's not too far from here and we can discuss how we should continue."
"Lead the way, Aisha." I said, also smiling at her.
I can tell right now, that this is gonna be one crazy adventure.
And there you have it folks! The first chapter of Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Knigdoms is in the books! I hope everyone enjoyed the story as much as Vanishing Raptor and I enjoyed writing it! But how was it? Was it good? Was it bad? I don't know. I can't read your minds, so you're gonna have to tell in your reviews, however I do not except flames. I can take constructive criticism to an extent, but I can't have you hurting my feelings with hateful words spat out towards me, so please do not send a flame. The best thing you could do, is that if you don't like it, don't review, not read further, and go on with your lives. That's all I can say about that. So with that said, stay tuned for the next chapter and as always, thanks for reading!